Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy: Written Questions

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many and what proportion of his Department's Answers to Written Parliamentary Questions in the 2017-18 Session to date have referred to the information requested not being (a) collected or (b) collated centrally.

Margot James: The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has answered 1675 Written Parliamentary Questions so far this session as of 21st December. Of these, 3 questions (0.18% of questions asked) have referred to the information not being collated and 4 questions (0.24% of questions asked) have referred to the information not being collected centrally.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Kashmir: Human Rights

Julie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps the Government has taken to tackle human rights abuses of people from Kashmir in (a) India and (b) Pakistan.

Mark Field: The British Government encourages all states to ensure that their domestic laws meet international human rights standards. This includes the need for any allegations of human rights abuses to be investigated thoroughly, promptly and transparently. We raise the issue of Kashmir, including human rights, with the governments of India and Pakistan.

Kashmir: Politics and Government

Julie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what the Government's policy is on the outcome of the dispute in the Kashmir region.

Mark Field: The British Government has a deep and broad partnership with India and Pakistan in which we discuss a wide range of matters, including Kashmir. These discussions take place regularly in London and in both Delhi and Islamabad.  The long standing position of the British Government is that it is for India and Pakistan to find a lasting resolution to the situation in Kashmir, taking into account the wishes of the Kashmiri people. We encourage both sides to maintain positive dialogue, but the pace and scope of this is for them to determine.

Yemen: Humanitarian Aid

Chris Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent representations he has made to his Saudi Arabian counterpart on the humanitarian situation in Yemen.

Alistair Burt: The British Government is closely engaged on the humanitarian crisis in Yemen. The Foreign Secretary has discussed the situation with the Foreign Minister of Saudi Arabia and Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman several times in recent weeks, most recently with the Crown Prince on 19 December. We welcome the Coalition's announcement on 20 December that Hodeidah port will reopen for both humanitarian and commercial supplies, including fuel and food. On 20 December, the Prime Minister discussed this announcement with King Salman and Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman. In 2017/18, the British Government is committing £205 million in humanitarian aid to Yemen.

Uganda: Politics and Government

Alex Sobel: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent representations he has made to the Government of Uganda on military incursions in the Ugandan Parliament, including during the 19 December 2017 debate on the presidential age limit.

Rory Stewart: ​Our High Commissioner in Kampala is following this matter closely and has raised, along with EU colleagues, the issue of the use of security forces in the Ugandan Parliament with the Ugandan Prime Minister. We have also raised our concerns with the Government of Uganda about restrictions on political and civic space and continue to call on the Ugandan authorities to guarantee fundamental freedoms of expression, association and assembly.

Sudan: Armed Conflict

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether his Department has investigated allegations that the Government of Sudan has used illegal weaponry in the Nuba mountains.

Rory Stewart: The British Government is not aware of any recent allegations that the Government of Sudan has used illegal weapons in the Nuba Mountains. We welcome the unilateral cessations of hostilities announced by both the Government of Sudan (expires 31 December 2017) and the Sudan People's Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) (expires 31 January 2018). We have not received any credible reports, including from the SPLM-N, on government violations of their unilateral cessation of hostilities. We continue to urge both sides to constructively engage with the African Union High Level Implementation Panel (AUHIP) peace process in order to agree upon a permanent ceasefire and unfettered humanitarian access.

Department for Education

Department for Education: Written Questions

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many and what proportion of her Department's Answers to Written Parliamentary Questions in the 2017-18 Session to date have referred to the information requested not being (a) collected or (b) collated centrally.

Mr Robert Goodwill: In the current parliamentary session (as at 19 December 2017), the Department for Education have answered 78 (3.3%) written parliamentary question explaining that the requested information was not available on the grounds of it not being collected, of which 25 provided information the department does hold to partially answer the question. 37 (1.6%) parliamentary questions were answered explaining that the information is not held centrally, of which 4 provided information the department does hold to partially answer the question. This is 115 (4.8%) out of a total of 2384 parliamentary questions that have been answered.

Ministry of Defence

HMS Queen Elizabeth

Jamie Stone: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what estimate his Department has made of the total cost to repair the leak on HMS Queen Elizabeth.

Jamie Stone: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what estimate he has made of the cost to repair any damage caused by the recent leak on HMS Queen Elizabeth.

Harriett Baldwin: HMS QUEEN ELIZABETH is undergoing a programme of sea trials to find any teething problems and rectifying them. Sea trials will continue as scheduled in the New Year. There has been no damage caused to the ship by the leak. Any costs to repair it will be borne by the Aircraft Carrier Alliance and there will be no additional cost to the British taxpayer.

Joint Strike Fighter Aircraft

Jamie Stone: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the cost to the public purse is of the recent order of 14 F-35 fighter jets.

Harriett Baldwin: The UK has taken delivery of 14 F-35B Lightning II aircraft between 2012 and 2017. The total unit flyaway cost for these aircraft is $1920 million.

HMS Queen Elizabeth

David Linden: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will place in the Library a copy of the list of repairs to be carried out by BAE on HMS Queen Elizabeth.

Harriett Baldwin: As is to be expected at this stage in a first of class warship of the size and complexity of HMS QUEEN ELIZABETH, issues can arise during trials which require remedial engineering work to rectify. In view of the routine nature of this work, and the constantly changing list of items requiring attention, I do not propose to place a copy of the current list in the Library of the House as it would very quickly become inaccurate and potentially misleading.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Food: Waste Disposal

Andrew Percy: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans the Government has to promote the usage of brown food waste bins.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: The provision of food waste collections has increased, with 50% of local authorities in England providing a dedicated food waste collection in 2016/17, either separate or mixed with garden waste, an increase from 27% in 2009. Separate food waste collected for recycling increased by 15% in 2016 to 353,000 tonnes from 307,000 tonnes in 2015. The Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) has carried out pilot projects to help local authorities increase the amount of food waste collected. Alongside industry, WRAP has also published a Food Waste Recycling Action Plan which sets out sixteen actions to increase food waste collection.

Department for International Trade

UK Trade With EU

Emma Reynolds: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, whether his Department has (a) commissioned and (b) holds reports setting out the current economic relationship between the UK and other individual EU member states.

Greg Hands: The Department for Exiting the European Union leads on the framing of our future economic relationship with the EU and its member states, and this department works closely on these issues, supporting their comprehensive programme of analytical work to inform negotiations.

Trade Remedies Authority

Gareth Snell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, whether the non-executive members of the Trade Remedies Authority will include representatives from the UK manufacturing sector and trades unions.

Greg Hands: We are committed to creating an organisation with the expertise required to reach informed and objective conclusions on trade remedies cases and this means ensuring the Trade Remedies Authority is led by individuals with the right skills to effectively operate a UK-wide function. As with other such appointments, appointments to the Trade Remedies Authority will be made in accordance with good governance principles and rules on public appointments.The Department for International Trade has engaged with a range of stakeholders including all sorts of businesses, and trade unions, throughout the policy and legislative development process for the trade remedies framework and will continue to do so as it sets up the Trade Remedies Authority.

Trade Agreements

Stephen Kerr: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what discussions he has had with the  Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy on ensuring that businesses have access to the sales skills they need for exporting after the UK leaves the EU.

Stephen Kerr: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what plans his Department has to support export businesses grow the sales talent required to take advantage of new export markets.

Greg Hands: As announced in the Industrial Strategy, My noble Friend the Minister for State for Trade and Export Promotion (Baroness Fairhead) will lead the creation of a new export strategy. Reporting in spring 2018, the Export Strategy review will ensure that the government has the right financial, practical and promotional support in place for new and existing exporters to sell overseas as we leave the EU. My noble Friend will be engaging with a number of government departments across Whitehall.In addition to our existing services, we are already piloting intensive export growth support for potential scale-ups and particularly ambitious medium sized businesses.

Trade

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, how many meetings he or his Department have had with (a) the Legatum Institute and (b) Barnabus Reynolds/Politieia on market liberalisation following the UK’s decision to leave the EU.

Greg Hands: The Department for International Trade has met the Legatum Institute on a number of occasions since its formation, at Ministerial and official level, as it does with a number of think tanks. These meetings covered a variety of topics.

Chemicals: Trade Agreements

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what assessment he has made of the potential effect on access to European markets of the regulatory framework in a free trade agreement with the US on the chemical industry in the UK.

Greg Hands: The UK is seeking to maintain a deep trading relationship with the EU while maximising our opportunity to strike ambitious trade deals with other global trading partners such as the USA. Access of particular UK sectors such as the chemical industry to European markets will be addressed in the future negotiations between the UK and the EU.

Women and Equalities

Government Equalities Office: Written Questions

Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, how many and what proportion of Answers on the Government Equalities Office to Written Parliamentary Questions in the 2017-18 Session to date have referred to the information requested not being (a) collected or (b) collated centrally.

Mr Robert Goodwill: In the current parliamentary session (as at 19 December 2017), the Government Equalities Office have answered one (0.72 %) written parliamentary question explaining that the requested information was not available on the grounds of it not being collected. No parliamentary questions were answered explaining that the information is not held centrally. This is out of a total of 139 parliamentary questions that have been answered.